Jersey shines on its big day

For The Trentonian/ JOHN BLAINE
Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning fires a pass during first-quarter action of the Super Bowl against the Seahawks. Manning had a rough game after the opening snap went over his head for a safety.

EAST RUTHERFORD — New Jersey’s biggest day on the world stage turned out better than anyone could have dreamed it could.

Who cared if our neighbors across the river got the No. 1 billing for Super Bowl XLVIII. The state that staged the game outdid itself.

So what if the N.J. Transit trains taking fans from Trenton/Hamilton were packed before they hit New Brunswick and standing room only when they left MetroPark.

Who tipped the fans from Denver and the Seattle faithful who caught the late Friday ‘red eye’ to get here that the Garden State can throw a party to beat anyone? Who needs Atlantic City’s casinos when eyes around the world are tuned in to America’s greatest day?

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Fans and players were the biggest winners because instead of having to fight off the sub-freezing temperatures that had been predicted all week this first outdoor Super Bowl played in the northeast had temps at 50 for the 6:30 p.m. kickoff.

The name on the back of most of the football shirts you saw outside MetLife four hours before kickoff had Manning across the back — just as you always see before NFL games here.

Only these weren’t for Eli, but older brother Peyton who was trying to close out the greatest season any quarterback has had by winning his second Super Bowl and tie his brother for that distinction.

Amazingly Bronco boosters wearing Peyton’s unretired No. 18 didn’t know that he got permission two years ago from the Tripucka family nearby here in Essex Fells to unretire Frank Tripucka’s older number from the original Denver seasons before anyone ever began calling the NFL’s championship game Super.

Peyton’s first half was typical Manning in MetLife this season because he couldn’t do anything right.

By the end of the half Denver was in a 22-0 hole — mostly because of Peyton blunders.

Seattle led 22-0 at the break after Malcolm Smith picked off Peyton and went 69 yards for touchdown, giving the Seahawks nine points with their offense on the sideline.

Making sure the 85,000 packed into MetLife didn’t forget they were in Jersey, game organizers made sure four of NJ’s greatest voices — Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Frank Sinatra and Queen Latifah — were the music legends featured pregame.

SB XLVIII had the wackiest start of any Super Bowl with Seattle leading 5-0 before the game was five minutes old. A safety on the game’s opening play when Peyton was too short to reach the ball snapped over his head into the end zone — and covered for a safety by Knowshon Moreno to prevent a Seahawks touchdown on the game’s first play — eventually led to the first of two field goals Seattle’s Steven Hauschka was perfect on in the first quarter.

That made it five consecutive quarters for Seattle’s defense in MetLife this season, or did you forget the 23-0 drubbing they handed the Giants here two months ago?